The
program capability inventory is a tool that will help you identify resources
and consultants that will be available to your crew. This will help shape your
crew’s program.

Ideally,
a
member of the crew committee will keep and maintain this file. After
crew
officers are elected, the Program Vice President will work with the crew
committee to use this in recruiting consultants for activities.

This
tool is used to survey the interests of crew members. When crew interests match
with available resources from the PCI, a viable program is born. This process is used in planning the yearly program.

After crew
officers are elected, the Program Vice President should collect and maintain these interest surveys.

Information and forms can be
found in the Venturing Leader Manual, pp. 30-31, 35-36. You can use the forms
available or create your own. The LDS church’s Talent and Interest Survey could
also be used.

3.Election of
Crew officers

Information
regarding the election of crew officers can be found in the Venturing Leader
Manual, p. 31

Training
Venturers to be leaders is an ongoing process that begins immediately when a
Venturer accepts a leadership position in thecrew. Leadership experiences can
be frustrating and disappointing for a Venturer who is not given the knowledge,
skills, and encouragement that are needed to fulfill a leadership assignment.
The following resources are available to help you train your crew officers:

If several weeks will pass before
this course can be taught, conduct a crew officers briefing right away.
Information about the crew officers briefing can be found in the Venturing
Leader Manual, p. 34

5.Crew
Officers Seminar (annual planning retreat)

This is
perhaps the most important meeting of the year. In this meeting, crew officers
will learn and practice their responsibilities, and develop a program of activities
for the coming year. Information about the crew officers seminar can be found
in the Venturing Leader Manual, pp. 34, 47.

Information
about program planning is contained in Chapter 3 of the Venturing Leader
Manual.

6.Open House

In
a community based crew the open house is an opportunity to recruit new members.
You share information about your crew and your program and invite others to
join. In an LDS crew you won’t likely be recruiting anyone, but an open house
is a good opportunity to share with parents your plans for the coming year.

Have
an activity, share photos and stories about your past activities and introduce
your calendar for the coming year.

Information
about open houses can be found in the Venturing Leader Manual, pp. 37-40.

7.Crew
officers meetings

This is a critical step in
turning your plan into an actual program of activities. Crew officers should
meet regularly (monthly) to review crew business, make assignments for future
crew activities, and assess crew activities and progress.

These meetings should be led by
the youth officers. A sample agenda can be found in
the Venturing Leader Manual, p. 33.

In an LDS crew, this probably
should be held in conjunction with the Priests quorum presidency meetings.

8.Regular Crew
meetings/activities

Crew meetings should have an
opening and closing, using the Venturing Oath, and prayer. The crew president
should lead the meeting using a detailed, written agenda. Business and
announcements should be handled quickly and effeciently to allow time to focus
on the crew’s planned activity.

Activites should be planned and
led by youth activity chairs with assistance from consultants identified
through the program capability inventory. Adult leaders should advisers, not
lead players.

Information about crew meetings
can be found in the Venturing Leader Manual, pp. 41, 43.

I think the two main points here are first, that the program is centered around the activities that the young people want to do. It probably should revolve around the yearly super activity and, ideally, incorporate Venturing award requirements. But if you are doing activities that the youth want to do, and if the youth are planning and leading them, you've got a program going. The first two steps are focused on this.

The second thing is that you have to have crew officers elected, trained, and functioning. In my crew, we've had officers in place for a year and a half, and we've had yearly plans for the last two years. But I haven't done a very good job in getting them to hold officers meetings. I've provided some training, but could do better. As a result, a lot of our activities fall through. Our plans go by the wayside and the youth aren't involved as much as I would like.

I think that if you can get your crew officers to meet regularly, everything else will fall into place. That's where my focus is going to be for the next little while.

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About Me

I live with my wife and two children in Utah.
I served for 4 years in the young mens program with the Venturing crew before being called to the Bishopric where I served for about 9 months as 2nd Counselor and Chartered Organization Representative. I am currently serving as the bishop in my ward.